Tourism Ireland, Marketing the Island of Ireland Overseas

Ireland ‘Means Business’ in Germany!

22 May 2014

Twenty-nine tourism enterprises from around the island of Ireland joined Tourism Ireland in Germany this week for IMEX, the major business tourism exhibition which takes place each year in Frankfurt.

IMEX – International Meetings and Events Exhibition – is a key event in the calendar for the MICE (meetings, incentive, conferences and events) industry. Attracting about 9,000 visitors, including almost 4,000 influential business tourism buyers from 75 different countries, the three-day trade show offers excellent business and networking opportunities for the participating Irish tourism companies.

Zoë Redmond, Tourism Ireland’s manager for Central Europe, said: “Business tourism is an important, high yield sector and Tourism Ireland has a busy programme of promotions under way throughout 2014, to grow this type of tourism. Our presence at IMEX provides Tourism Ireland, and our partners, with a wonderful opportunity to highlight our world-class business and conference facilities, as well as the great experiences delegates can enjoy in Ireland on the sidelines of their conference or meeting. The superb facilities, coupled with our distinctive cultural experience, mean the island of Ireland is a very attractive destination for the business tourism market.”

Business tourism is the most lucrative form of tourism; visitors who travel here for business purposes spend about 2.5 times more than the average tourist. Tourism Ireland’s busy programme of activity to grow business tourism this year includes a number of networking events, a presence at other major business tourism promotions and familiarisation visits for key decision-makers in the sector – highlighting ease of access, as well as the great facilities and good value rates available for meetings and conferences here.

•Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.

•Tourism is the island of Ireland’s largest indigenous industry; responsible for in excess of 4% of GNP in the Republic of Ireland and employing approximately 200,000 people.

•In 2013, we welcomed an estimated 8 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland, delivering revenue of approximately €3.64 billion. Overseas tourism business accounts for 59% of all tourism revenue.

•Tourism Ireland’s international website is www.ireland.com, currently rolling out in 11 different language versions for over 30 individual markets around the world.